Announcements from Otakon 2014!

This year at Otakon, we are proud to announce three new titles and special plans leading to a fourth and beyond!

Chou Dengeki Stryker for Steam

First of all, we’re proud to announce that we’re planning to adapt Chou Dengeki Stryker for release on steam!

Chou Dengeki Stryker for Steam differs from the original version in only that all erotic content is removed, so those of you who already own Chou Dengeki Stryker won’t need to buy it again. Likewise, the hard-copy version of Chou Dengeki Stryker still slated for release in September will be the original, adult version of the game. We’re currently looking into options for a potential Limited Edition release, so follow us on twitter to stay up to date on news!

Euphoria

Next, we are proud to announce Euphoria from CLOCK-UP! We’ve already received a lot of interest from our fans in this psychological thriller, and we’re proud to bring it to you! Waking up in a stark white room, with nothing but your clothes and collar around your neck. The door beeps, opens, and you have seconds to decide whether to move on or not.

As you enter the new room, you six other girls–girls you know–and a computerized voice begins to explain the little ‘game’ you’re all about to be forced to play. When one girl refuses to comply, you all reawaken just in time to watch her be murdered before your eyes.

“Withdrawal from the game will result in death,” the electronic voice states, coldly, mechanically, with no hint of emotion. Your only choice in order to survive is to choose from the girls presented before you–and violate them. Failure means death. Forfeit means death.

Can you escape this torturous ‘game’ with your sanity intact? What awaits after this torturous trial?

Euphoria will be releasing the HD remastered version of the game, which ups the resolution from its original 800 x 600 to 1024 x 768. We will also be releasing Euphoria fully uncensored: no cut scenes or mosaics covering the goods here! The game will, of course, retain its original Japanese voice acting, but all text and in-game menus will be in English.

The House in Fata Morgana

Next up, we’re proud to announce our acquisition of The House in Fata Morgana by Novectacle!

The House in Fata Morgana is a full-length visual novel involving tragedy, human nature, and insanity. Since it was released in 2012, news of the game has gradually spread by word of mouth─it has even been featured in a range of overseas media.

The further you progress through the story, the more unpredictable it becomes. Beautiful artwork and a dark atmosphere accompanies 65 music tracks by five energetic composers to draw you even further into the game’s gothic world.

We hope this is a game all of our fans will be able to enjoy, especially those who loved Animamundi! This game will be all-ages, and we’ll also be attempting to release it on Steam as well.

eden*

Last but not least, we’re proud to announce a renewed partnership with minori! The first part of our partnership will be the release of eden* in English!

eden* is a tale set just before the apocalypse, after most of humanity has been evacuated to outer space. One of the few soldiers left on Earth, the expert sniper Ryou is assigned to a remote research facility to guard the most important person on a dying Earth. She is the engineer behind the spaceships that saved humanity, a genetically modified breed of human that possesses incredible intelligence: The supreme felix, Sion.

At this odd research facility, Ryou will encounter a polite, if at times suggestive maid, an outspoken and beautiful partner who -loves- using knives, and a major who he would just as soon kill due to their tragic past. What awaits Ryou in this place?

eden* will be released as it was in Japan as two separate versions: eden*, which contains the base game and will be available on Steam, and eden*: plus mosaic which contains more graphic violence and the addition of adult scenes.

Minori / Supipara Development Plan

Our renewed partnership with minori extends beyond just localizing eden* however; the end goal is nothing short of funding the localization and development of future minori titles.

So what does that mean? MangaGamer and minori are partnering up to further expand the English visual novel market. After eden*, our goal is to fund the localization of their most ambitious title, Supipara. Devoted minori fans may recall that Supipara was to be released as an episodic visual novel, but for various reasons, the series never ran beyond the initial episode release. That’s where we come in!

Through the sales of eden* and Supipara, our goal is to self-fund the development of the remaining chapters of Supipara. Our wish to make the western market an equal in the visual novel industry, and we need your support to make it happen. Should we be successful, we may be able to see simultaneous English/Japanese releases of future minori titles, or even English-first releases!

‘Supipara – Alice the Magical Conductor’ is an interactive novel themed around “dynamicism” depicted by rallying all of the production techniques minori has accumulated to date. Character portraits have expressions and hair that move, show gestures such as turning around, and even display subtle changes in emotion, making it feel like you’re actually talking to the characters!

The protagonist, Yukinari Sanada, has returned to his hometown in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kamakura City, for the first time in seven years, and is greeted by his older cousin, Sakura Narumi (complete with maid outfit). He wanted to live in peace, but his life at the academy placed on the coastlands becomes bustling and brilliant while surrounded by the a lineup of members with booming personalities like Hotaru Amano, the sharp tongued, half-Japanese beauty, and Alice Kamishiro, the lazy witch who loves modern-science and mail-orders.

Eventually, our protagonist is coaxed into joining the action committee for the academy’s traditional beauty contest by his close friend. He interacts with the heroines participating in this contest who are cute but each have an idiocyncrasy or two. Fun events (with their own difficulties) pop up again and again. Your story with “her” about smiles, peace, passion, and love, all while borrowing the power of a witch, is about to begin!

We are tremendously excited for what the future has in store, and we hope you share in that excitement. Between our existing titles in the works, our Anime Expo announcements, and now these new projects, we believe we have a something that will satisfy just about any Visual Novel fan. As we continue to expand, we aim to bring visual novels to an even greater audience and, through endeavors such as new art and funding of new projects, make them even better than ever before.

46 Comments

Wow! The new partnership with minori is just unbelievably amazing. This announcement makes me really excited for the future of how the western market will continue to develop. Thank you so much Mangagamer for making many fans’ dreams a possibility. Obviously I’ll continue to vote with my dollar.

OMG Euphoria!! On one hand, I’m scared to play it. I liked the OVAs but they were quite disturbing; I’m sure the VN is more extreme. On the other hand, I’m just too curious to pass it up entirely.

The new partnership with minori is no less exciting. I know nothing of minori beyond their reputation, but your future plans have the potential to really change the western market for VNs (if successful, of course). I will absolutely be supporting this effort!

I got carried away in the above two announcements, but I also wanted to mention that House in Fata Morgana also looks quite interesting. The premise of course, but the art in particular is unique and very appealing to me.

Interesting. So Steam really is fine with hosting all-ages versions of eroge that are also being sold as 18+ versions in English. If specially censored releases on Steam are what’s necessary to make eroge localization profitable, then so be it.

I’m a bit skeptical that Mangagamer can crank out enough sales to actually fund eroge development. That’s just way beyond the current scope and scale of the English VN market. The upcoming Steam releases would have to be smash hits for this to be possible.

The thing is Supipara isn’t 18+
It’s the all age game that didn’t really take off in Japan, because people wanted minori as an adult VN supplier.
I’m sad they still want to censor their games even in the western market =/

Euphoria!!! Man i can’t wait any longer. If i had a great amount of money i would just give you all and i would still buy it in order to be able to play it right now. In other words: shut up and take my money.

I’m really interested in Eden. All of it look great in every sense. So is a must for me.

Subari, well, the game looks great. It is a strange idea but i suport you so i’ll make sure to buy eden and this game. 🙂

So that’s the full fledged Steam assault now, eh?! Looks like I can stop with my “Bring more VN’s on Steam” rants in the forum now…

The House in Fata Morgana has a strong western touch art-wise. Didn’t see that coming. Not the best Gothic art I’ve seen, but decent enough. I’m definitely interested in that title.

Great to hear that the partnership with Minori will continue. I take everything from Minori although I hope it won’t be as disturbing as ef – The latter tale. I just love their art.

The announcement from Euphoria was to be expected, it was hinted enough. I guess fans of scat and torture porn will surly be delighted now. Though I better spare me a comment about what I think about this release.

With the obvious exception of Euphoria I’m pleased with the announcements, although I actually miss something ‘light’. No moeges at all, not even a traditional nakige (Minori is more utsuge). I hope this doesn’t mean that after BaseSon we also lost Navel, Circus and Moonstone. 😮

More or less. Their titles got simply too long and expensive for MG. There’s a slight hope for Shin Koihime getting an official release if the fan translation succeeds, but MG themselves won’t translate it.
And since BaseSon’s titles don’t exactly get cheaper you can do the math about the chances to get one of their newer titles.
MG already admitted that Navel’s Oretachi is too expensive for them to translate too, and so my hopes are slim to get newer titles from Navel as well.

It’s definitely more than that. Da Capo 3 or Princess Evangile have a similar length than Koihime Musou, but the BaseSon titles have so many characters voiced by highly rated voice actresses that the royalty costs explode.

If I remember right then Kouryuu mentioned in the interview where he also hinted the Lilith titles that Otoboku sold well. It also got a hard copy which is usually a good sign.
But if the newer titles have expensive voice or engine costs or other issues arise like in the case of Oretachi, it can immediately kill the deal.
Not to mention that the current Steam trend probably turned things upside down. I’m not even sure if MG themselves know exactly where the current journey is heading.

Good to hear that Supipara isn’t an utsuge as well. But apparently it’s a kinetic novel, which means that it’s probably more plot-driven since there aren’t any routes for the three main girls. I was more referring to a good old ‘choose your girl and get your happy end’ moege.

With Mangagamer having released Kara no Shoujo, and its sequel and Cartagra in the works, there’s definitely a possibility that they could eventually license Innocent Grey’s yuri title “Flowers” in the future.

Since they have connections to the company, it would be a good choice to request on the forums.

looks like ther might be somthing wanna buy this year dont like most raper/tentracl stuff be haveing and all nuked for soft seal made no realy use any money on ther buy thislast year but lookslike ther might come one or 2 good game yaya